Primer Explosion?

[jaffo]

I've been reading the passage below from ultimate reloader. I'm a safety nut, but had to wonder how often this happens and how bad is it?

Wear eye protection while loading

A simple rule to follow is to always use eye protection while loading in case you have a primer explosion. I personally use prescription wrap-around safety glasses as they are not much different than wearing my “normal” glasses.

[G-ManBart]

It sort of depends. I haven't had it happen, but I did have a live round go off when I dropped into a box full of other live rounds (case gauging and dropping them maybe 8-10"). More than a few folks here have documented primers detonating in the press, and it usually means all the primers in the tube detonate, and some parts wind up stuck in the ceiling...oh, and some ringing ears. It seems more folks report it with 650s, but that might just be my impression. Definitely wear glasses with impact resistant lenses...never know which way that stuff is going to fly. R,

[MarkCO]

Never seen it in person, saw the damage on a 650 that had it happen just a short while ago. I alwasy wear safety glasses from the time I touch primers until the time the new rounds go into the containers.

[gohuskers]

Had a primer go off in my 650 when reloading but not the whole primer magazine. The rule for me is as soon as I walk in the reloading room it's safety glasses, and whenever handling anything that goes "boom" safety glasses. I've heard of more than 1 person dropping a live round into a box and having it explode - in fact Brian talked about that very thing happening on his video "competition reloading". Makes a guy think a little bit more about handling ammo safely.

[John Wayne]

There are also a few people around that think it's cool to cut a hole in their loading bench and let the finished round drop into a bucket or ammo can on the floor.

[redmanfixit]

All this stuff IS after all based on explosives! Propellant is at least nitroglycerin and usually also nitrocellulose. Priming material is lead styphanate and ground glass. Considering the astronomical numbers of these components that are manufactured, there are remarkably few "events" like that. Statistically it's inevitable that you'll get a primer that is unusually sensitive. When we press the primer into the pocket, it "primes" the primer, so to speak by pressing the dimple on the apex of the anvil into the priming compound in the primer cup. I'm always amazed at how robust ammo really turns out to be and how stable it is given what we make it from. It's worth while not to get too complacent with the materials in all the routine of maintenance of guns, cleaning and assembly of live rounds. Don't let routine dull your awareness! No shortcuts! It's all good fun till you poke yer eye out!! Directed attention!!

[kaiserb]

I have had a primer go off on 2 occasions with a Dillon 650. Both times were without incident and both were with Federal Small Pistol Primers.

1. Seating into a crimped piece of 9mm brass. Results were a loud "Pop" noise, no damage to the reloader but I did have to change underpants.

2. The primer rotation disk had a piece of debris under a primer, which raised it up and the shell plate sheared off the anvil on the primer. Results were a dull "Pop" with no damage to the reloader.

[Gregory_k]

Fed primers, dillion 650 seating a primer. All 116 or so (just added 100 primers) went off. I can say this much the human ear only hears one pop.

1 phone call got the new parts and was reminded how to adjust the primer arm. Loadded 45 acp for years forgot about that adjustment. Dillion sent new a new primer system, new primer disk, new primer seating ram, and a new shell plate. this why just about all my equip is blue.

that plastic primer stick will smash lights and dent fixures.

Edited January 25, 2011 by Gregory_k

[AlamoShooter]

one primer set off in 20 years - too many rounds to count down range. I used safety glasses especially when I load primer tubes

[jaffo]

Fed primers, dillion 650 seating a primer. All 116 or so (just added 100 primers) went off. I can say this much the human ear only hears one pop.

1 phone call got the new parts and was reminded how to adjust the primer arm. Loadded 45 acp for years forgot about that adjustment. Dillion sent new a new primer system, new primer disk, new primer seating ram, and a new shell plate. this why just about all my equip is blue.

that plastic primer stick will smash lights and dent fixures.

George, where you hurt? What kind of damage did it do?

[Bear23]

I had a primer set off the whole stack in my 650. primer got stuck in the index ring (the round plate with holes in it) tried to refeed as it didn't drop.

Have you seen the part in Saving private Ryan where tom hanks gets his bell rung? that was me.

[sirveyr]

I had a primer set off the whole stack in my 650. primer got stuck in the index ring (the round plate with holes in it) tried to refeed as it didn't drop.

Have you seen the part in Saving private Ryan where tom hanks gets his bell rung? that was me.

Same thing happened to me when I was helping a friend set up his new 650. You'd be surprised how far the little plastic primer rod can bury itself into the ceiling drywall...after it blows out the 8' fluorescent light bulb. All of this happened about five minutes after my buddy set set off a round that blew up his new bullet puller. I think he was hitting the wrong end onto the concrete floor. It was not very good "first time loading experience" for him.

Edited January 25, 2011 by sirveyr

[sperman]

I set off 2 or 3 primers in my 650, but it was always 1 at a time. I'm still not sure how the detonations travel around the disc and make it into the tube.

[chirpy]

When I got my Dillon 450 they supplied clear plastic primer pick-up tubes. Some time later they switched to aluminum and recommended that the plastic not be used. The aluminum would contain any detonation and funnel it up away from the operator. Don't remember if it ever happened but I guess if they say it could, it could.

FWIW

Richard

[ima45dv8]

I set off 2 or 3 primers in my 650, but it was always 1 at a time. I'm still not sure how the detonations travel around the disc and make it into the tube.

I don't have a 650 so I haven't experienced one personally, but I have several friends who've punched holes into the attic that way. When I setup a 650 for a friend I did have a chance to examine one closely.

It seemed to me to be a case of having primers right next to each other, pretty much without interruption, from the priming station of the shellplate all the way back to the primer magazine. That's largely because of that disc being used to bridge the gap between the shellplate and the primer magazine. On the other Dillon presses there is a shuttle-/slide-type delivery system that picks a primer off the bottom of the magazine and transports it over to the shellplate. With those other models an ignition at the shellplate is physically separated from the magazine by about 1". In the 650, they're about one primer's width away from each other. Because of the close proximity when the one goes off at the shellplate it can cause a chain reaction back to the magazine tube.

**This is a just another good reason to always wear eye protection while reloading, and gives considerable weight to having sleeves on any florescent lights mounted over the press (I think Flex has been promoting those for a long time now).

[jaffo]

CRAP!! I now worry more about setting off a round!!...lol...I should have never asked the question...Just Kidding.

I want to be safe. The thought of an uncontrolled round going off REALLY makes me uncomfortable. Don't tell my wife.

[ima45dv8]

The occurance is extremely rare. Just wear eye protection, as with any other press, and carry on.

[G-ManBart]

CRAP!! I now worry more about setting off a round!!...lol...I should have never asked the question...Just Kidding.

I want to be safe. The thought of an uncontrolled round going off REALLY makes me uncomfortable. Don't tell my wife.

To be honest, it took me years, and many multiple tens of thousands of rounds to have it happen, and it was still extremely unusual. I started a thread on it so others might avoid my mistake(s):

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=56656&view=findpost&p=657023

[jaffo]

Thanks for posting that older thread Bart. I read every single post. It was good info.

j

[mlm]

have had it happen to me about 10 years ago in my 450. so it can happen anytime. only one primer popped when i was seating it into a 45 case. just a loud pop and some smoke. did scare me abit.

wife asked me what was that noise about 5 minutes later. wasn't hurt though.

mike

[Bear23]

I took my disc out of the 650 and polished it up well. that prevents any primers from not dropping out if they didn't get seated. I generally check the disc if i have a stoppage and make sure they have dropped.

[J-Ho]

I always wear glasses. I've never had a primer go off. I also always pay my life insurance policy and have never been dead. Put the glasses on every time.

[BillD]

I set off a tube in my 650. Fed primers, S&B (tight pockets) brass. It was exciting. My girlfriend was convinced I'd managed to shoot myself with my reloading press.....

The press was slightly out of alignment. I contacted Dillon and got replacement parts. I asked the rep, he said, it happens.

[Popsmoke]

I just did it, was (am) having problems getting primers to in 223. They are crushing and going in crooked. Was working on this for a while and just as my wife comes downstairs to call me for dinner and, BANG!.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Just one primer blew as is crushed into the brass, no damage, the pop is similar to a small firecraker. Was wearing eye pro.

My wife asks "You cant shoot your self with that machine can you?"

[XRe]

I found that my 650 doesn't like old school WSPMs... The anvils are a little high for the press' liking. This caused a whole host of primer related issues, including having to disassemble the primer system to clear a jammed primer. Yes, my pucker factor was rather high! (after having an incident similar to G-Man's a while back when I dropped my loaded round bin on a concrete floor).

The trick would seem to be - try not to be a gorilla on the press. You have a lot of leverage on that handle, and if you just go slamming around on the thing, you don't have the feel to determine if something is wrong before it's too late. This is another reason for lubing your cases really well, too, in my mind. It's much easier to be smooth in the process, and pick up on these kinds of problems before you induce ringing in your ears (best case)...